{"id":2661,"date":"2010-02-23T21:36:31","date_gmt":"2010-02-24T02:36:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=2661"},"modified":"2025-12-25T07:21:21","modified_gmt":"2025-12-25T12:21:21","slug":"the-old-man-and-the-cowboy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=2661","title":{"rendered":"The Old Man and the Cowboy (by Hooded Crow)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0<\/span>This was written as a tribute and a kind of obituary for Pernell Roberts after I learned about his death in January 2010. Maybe, if you read it now, you’ll spare a thought for the anniversary coming up this January 24. He was one great man who gave us so much. <\/span><\/p>\n

Rated:<\/span>\u00a0K (1,410 words)
\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

This was written as a tribute and a kind of obituary for Pernell Roberts after I learned about his death in January 2010. Maybe, if you read it now, you’ll spare a thought for the anniversary coming up this January 24. He was one great man who gave us so much.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

The Old Man and the Cowboy<\/strong><\/p>\n

The old man took a few more hesitant steps,<\/strong> squinting at the surreal landscape in front of him. It had a bit of a dream, a bit of a painting – and a bit of the rather outdated scenery of an old Western. Except that it was real. Shaking his head in disbelief, he walked a couple of yards, all the time expecting to wake up from a dream.<\/span><\/p>\n

The snort of a horse stirred his attention. Turning his head, he saw two saddled, but riderless horses standing near a couple of boulders, and next to them a cowboy, comfortably seated on a rock, chewing on a blade of grass, all clad in black.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHowdy, oldtimer!\u201d The cowboy flashed him a sparkling smile. \u201cTook you quite a while to show up!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The old man furrowed his brow as he drew closer, incredulously looking into the strangely familiar face under the black hat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh no!\u201d he exclaimed. \u201cIt took me almost 50 years to get rid of you!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The cowboy laughed. \u201cAnd don\u2019t you think that this was just a little your own fault, old man?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The old man threw up his head, with an air of indignant temper that made him appear years younger. \u201cI never gave you more than ten per cent of my art!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSeems to me your ten per cent was worth far more than you thought.\u201d The cowboy rose from his seat and started untethering the horses. \u201cLooks like we\u2019ll be riding together for awhile. Hope you don\u2019t mind.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d prefer a car!\u201d The old man threw a miffed glance at the horse. A chestnut, of all possible horse\u2019s colors. \u201cWith a chauffeur!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Hoss is underway with the buckboard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A deep growl came from the old man\u2019s throat as he mounted the horse without further comment, secretly wondering at how easily it came to him. He had developed one ailment or another during the last few years, but they all seemed to be miraculously gone. Making himself comfortable in the saddle, he caught a glimpse of his own legs, clad in black pants. In sudden haste, his hand probed over his head. Thank heaven, there still was the familiar feeling of soft, bare skin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTake your hat off!\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d The cowboy who had just mounted his horse crinkled his brow. \u201cWhat for?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t ask. Take it off!\u201d He drove his horse closer to the cowboy and stretched his hand to heartily pull at the thick black hair over the younger man\u2019s forehead.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOuch! What was that for?\u201d The cowboy brushed his hair back with his fingers and put his hat back on.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThink nothing of it.\u201d The old man scanned the face in front of him, and it was like a look into a long gone past. He thoughtfully shook his head. \u201cThere are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy…\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHamlet, act 1, scene 5.\u201d The cowboy smiled.<\/span><\/p>\n

An eyebrow shot up in the old man\u2019s face. \u201cGood. Seems you still got something from me, after all…\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c…beside your ten per cent?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The old man\u2019s face darkened. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t my choice. I would have made more of you if only they would have let me.\u201d It almost sounded like an apology.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I know.\u201d The younger man nudged his horse into a light walk. \u201cBut you planted a seed that was strong enough to grow on its own.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo it seems…\u201d The old man motioned his horse to keep up. \u201cTell me, are you still tagging along at…\u201c He broke off, searching for more polite words. \u201c…living on your father\u2019s ranch?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStill trailing after Pa like an overgrown boy?\u201d came the dry retort.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUhm…\u201d The older man pursed his lips. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have put it quite like that, but… yes. That\u2019s what I meant!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The younger man chuckled. \u201cWell, actually, I\u2019m beginning to stand my own ground just now. Follow my own heart, and live my own dream.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGood!\u201d The old man nodded his head, but still shot a cantankerous look at his companion. \u201cTook you awfully long to get there. I wasn\u2019t that slow in my time!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The cowboy shrugged his shoulders. \u201cOh well, naturally, things just run a bit slower up here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For awhile they rode silently, the cowboy covertly watching his companion, the old man lost in faded memories. The surreal landscape around them slowly began to diverge into two sides, one reaching out into the endless plains of nature never touched by modern times, walled by snow-clad mountains, while the other seemed to dissolve into a silvery shining.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne more question,\u201d the old man finally began. \u201cYou didn\u2019t happen to marry an Indian girl?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The younger man laughed. \u201cNo, not quite… I got myself an Arab lady.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAn Arab?\u201d The thoughts began racing behind the high forehead. \u201cDark-skinned perhaps, very foreign, absolute unheard of in that pertinaciously xenophobic little town of yours?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYah, you could say so…\u201d The cowboy nodded his head, wondering about the sly grin on the old man\u2019s face.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGood!\u201d The old man chuckled. \u201cHope you\u2019ll stand your ground! And I sure hope I gave you enough of me to stick to your choices, no matter what!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo that\u2019s where I got my stubborn head from,\u201d the cowboy quipped. \u201cWas already wondering.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The old man started laughing, funny sparks dancing in hazel eyes that had never grown old. The laughter reflected on the younger man\u2019s face, the same sparks dancing in the same hazel eyes, two pairs of dimples growing in amused cheeks as they looked at each other.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it looks like you didn\u2019t turn out that bad, in the end.\u201d The old man\u2019s eyes had warmed, his look was kind. \u201cNot bad at all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThanks – I guess I can take that as a compliment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The old man chuckled, his eyes sparkled. \u201cIndeed, you can!\u201d He took a deep breath, his gaze wandered to the silver lining at the edge of the landscape. \u201cI\u2019d actually wish I could ride with you a little longer, maybe have a look at how that place looks for real, but… there is someone waiting for me.\u201d He nodded his head. \u201cAnd I\u2019ve been waiting for this reunion for so long now…\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The cowboy had followed the look. \u201cThat\u2019s alright, I understand.\u201d He cocked his head. \u201cIt was a great honor to meet you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A fine smile played around the older man\u2019s lips. \u201cIt was good to meet you. Good luck with your dreams, and your dark-skinned lady – and don\u2019t let the powers that be get in your way!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A dimple grew in the cowboy\u2019s cheek. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, I won\u2019t!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The old man who suddenly didn\u2019t look old at all nudged his horse into a canter, his face brightening in expectation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The cowboy stayed back, watched horse and rider approaching the silvery shining, watched them flying over the ground and into the air, watched them becoming one with the silver light.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll do my best to make you proud, oldtimer…\u201d he softly murmured and turned his horse to ride back into the wide plain.<\/span><\/p>\n

And deep inside his soul, a warm baritone resounded,<\/span><\/p>\n

Our revels now are ended. These our actors,<\/span>
\nAs I foretold you, were all spirits, and<\/span>
\nAre melted into air, into thin air:<\/span>
\nAnd like the baseless fabric of this vision,<\/span>
\nThe cloud-capp’d tow’rs, the gorgeous palaces,<\/span>
\nThe solemn temples, the great globe itself,<\/span>
\nYea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,<\/span>
\nAnd, like this insubstantial pageant faded,<\/span>
\nLeave not a rack behind. We are such stuff<\/span>
\nAs dreams are made on; and our little life<\/span>
\nIs rounded with a sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Disclaimer:<\/span>\u00a0All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.<\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0This was written as a tribute and a kind of obituary for Pernell Roberts after I learned about his death in January 2010. Maybe, if you read it now, you’ll spare a thought for the anniversary coming up this January 24. He was one great man who gave us so much.<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0K (1,410 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88,"featured_media":13147,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[1005,23,698],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adam-cartwright","category-drama","category-post-timeline","wpcat-1005-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-698-id"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/Screen-Shot-2016-07-12-at-7.28.34-PM.png?fit=653%2C572&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2661","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/88"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2661"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2661\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}